The disclosed subject matter relates to apparatus for retaining a workpiece, and methods of use and manufacture thereof. More particularly, the disclosed subject matter relates to methods and apparatus that secure a workpiece in place, such as in the contexts of pallet clamps, robot fingers, CNC tombstone jigs, general work holding and handling devices, etc.
It may be beneficial or necessary in many different contexts to hold a physical component or element (hereinafter “workpiece”) in place. For example, a workpiece can be held in place on another object, such as on a pallet, to facilitate transportation of the object from one location or orientation to another. The workpiece may need to be held in place, i.e., immobile relative to the pallet, so that the workpiece can be subjected to a separate operation at each of the locations and/or orientations.
In the context of manufacturing, the workpiece can be repeatedly and precisely indexed and held in place on a pallet for a machining or assembly operation. In some situations, such as where the workpiece is an engine cylinder head, the workpiece may be held in a predefined position and orientation, while being subjected to machining processes and forces (e.g., cutting, drilling, welding, fixing, centrifugal forces, vibrational forces, etc.).